Tidal River Morning

Igo Dock - Stage One

The Green Harbor River feeds into the Atlantic Ocean just on the other side of the dyke depicted in this painting.   When the tide is rising, the salt water pours into this basin and at ebb tide the fresh water pours out of the basin into the river channel and onto open ocean.

Igo Dock - Stage Two

I was standing on the brand new dock at the Peter Igo Recreational Park in Marshfield, MA.   The dock's low water level afforded a unique angle of the shoreline all around.    I used bungy cords to tie down the easel to the bolts that connected the dock sections, and other than some gentle rocking caused by the waves, the gear felt secure.

Igo Dock - Stage Three

Tidal River Morning

The term bird watching paradise came to mind with egrets, swans, ducks, geese, red winged black birds, and of course seagulls.   The color scheme had an overall grayness because of the milky skies and the silt under the salty riverbed.   The starring role had to go to the snowy egret that spent so much time with me.  The egret actively fished standing at the edge of the water.   It recoiled its necks into the letter S and in a flash, stabbed its beak into the water, most times coming up with a small silver sliver.   When the breeze came up, its long white feathers floated up catching the light - a gift to see.

First Snow of the Season

First Snow of the Season

This week an arctic blast finally pushed into New England.  The frigid temperatures, "warm" ocean water and wind whipping from the north resulted in several hours of "ocean effect" snow. Similar to summer fog, the ocean moisture blanketed the shore with swirling flakes while just a ten minute drive inland it was a bright, sunny sky.   This constituted the first measurable snow for the season - which got me thinking "snowscape."   I set up at the Daniel Webster Audubon in Green Harbor, planning to paint snow.   Most of the snow was in the shadowy areas, although the terrain sloping away from the sun was also snowy and sufficiently illuminated. Many areas had already melted or evaporated, but that was fine; just enough snow!

I painted this same scene a year ago without snow so it may look familiar.     As a wildlife refuge, it is pristine as can be, and as such there is always hope of seeing deer, fox, and hawks.   The most action I saw today was in the air, a red helicopter practicing landing and takeoffs.      

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Check out the scene in the following video (4:30 sec).    

https://youtu.be/95yx1hzkPwI

Spring at the Audubon

Daniel Webster Audubon Wide View

The Daniel Webster Audubon is a favorite spot for painting and it's almost guaranteed that some interesting wildlife will visit.   There were plenty of geese walking around, and in their midst, also strolling harmoniously with them were wild turkeys.  



Daniel Webster Audubon

The sky was milky white and most trees were bright spring green.  The exception was the pale pink and white blossoms of the cherry and apple trees.  The grove of trees and shrubs in the middle of the painting hide the duck blind and turtle pond.   The gravel path curves around the trees and continues all the way to the back of the preservation.   The gravel looks more like a stream right now so I will probably adjust it by bringing it down a value and also warming it up!



Winter Day at the Audubon

Winter Day at Audubon - Stage One

It looked like it would be a dry day - but gray - so I set up at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Refuge in Marshfield, MA.   As I painted it got windier and cloudier and chillier so I told myself to paint more quickly!

I decided to face southwest to include the brightest part of the early winter sky.    I mixed up some cloud colors, but made them high key, ie bright.   I'm still using the Gamblin's Radiant Violet and Radiant Magenta - not alone - but mixed with my usual blues and whites.    I painted down to the treeline, and beyond in a couple of places.

Winter Day at Audubon - Stage Two

My treeline was a swirl of asphaltum (a transparent brown), burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and green. The metal roof of the barn had a bluish color, strongly influenced by the sky.   Inside the barn, the farming equipment really caught my attention.   In fact, the items inside were the reason I chose this scene.   There was an old red trailer with bales of hay, tools on the wall, and a small tractor. Ironically, when it came time to paint them, I realize that their values were too dark to distinguish.  I settled for some dark hints of what was there.

Winter Day at Audubon - Stage Three

For the grasses, I used the stubby pastry brush to scrub in the fading winter grasses (ochre, sap green, burnt sienna, a little sky blue to tone it down).   Finally, I carved in the foreground trees.   Cutting them in right over the barn that just got painted is somewhat scary, but it really works to boldly represent the scene as it is.   (The sky paint was quite thick to carve through, so the branches will be restated back in the studio.)

Winter Day at Audubon - Stage Three

I thought I was painting quickly.  I only stopped once to wrap my neck in my warmest fake fur scarf, so I was surprised to discover that over two hours had elapsed.   My body temperature did confirm it had been two hours; I was frozen!     Painting endomorphins were coursing just fine through my veins and it didn't take long to pack up.  Sadly, the canvas fell face down onto the ground!  What?!?  The grit didn't cling as well as it would have in summer.   If you examine the upper left corner of the sky, there are some flakes of dead leaves - actually, just the right spot if I was going to add them.  :)


I still have work to do on the tree branches in the studio before I post to the shop or gallery, but the last photo is where I stopped for the paint-out.

Kick Start

Audubon in September

It's been three weeks since my last blog, the longest stretch without an entry since its inception in October 2011.       My list of subjects for paintings has just grown exponentially since returning from magical Ireland.   Expect an extended period of Ireland inspired scenes in the months to come.   Those images are screaming to be captured in oil.   Why I'm not jumping into it, I don't know.   Maybe the ideas
need to percolate for a bit.

Meanwhile, here is a small 8 x 10 inch warm up done "en plein air" at the Green Harbor Audubon a couple of days ago.   The light was bright and warm and the shadows were cool blue.  September's influence can be seen in the grasses that are tipping over and turning to straw.

Shady Porch Next To Audubon

It was early on day four of a July heat wave when we got our paint-out started, mainly trying to avoid the sizzling midday sun.   

It was already 82 degrees at 9am.  Maybe it was the heat getting to me but I felt uninspired as I looked around the Daniel Webster Audubon in Green Harbor.   There was plenty of nice scenery, much of which I have painted before.   Nothing was jumping out at me which is unusual.

Underpainting

There was plenty of green.   I had brought along a large canvas that had been underpainted with a colorful textured abstract.  I knew one thing;  I was going to guarantee myself shade for the entire duration of painting session.   Two large maple trees stood by the two picnic tables and I picked the one closer to the small private residence that abuts the preserve.    A border of flowers with bright orange tiger lilies ran along the road in front of the house with a small front porch.   The morning sun was behind the house and the porch area was shaded which created a dark backdrop making the lilies look even brighter by contrast.


Bright Flower Border - Stage One

I had a brand new, ding-free palette knife so I began mixing up some piles of color with it




Bright Flower Border - Stage Two

.   Instead of switching to brushes, I spread the color on with the knife to start.   With brushes I tend to paint thinly, building up layers gradually.   With the knife, I go thick right from the start giving the painting a whole different feel.     It's a lot of fun to paint this way and the result is thick and colorful.

Audubon Marshfield Hills

North River Wildlife Sanctuary

North River Wildlife Sanctuary

I've done several paintings at the Daniel Webster Wilderness Audubon in the Green Harbor section of Marshfield, but this day we drove to another Audubon in Marshfield, near the mouth of the North River.     Within the first ten minutes, we saw turkeys, hummingbirds and woodpeckers, proof that the wildlife got the memo.  Add to that all the azaleas and white flowering dogwoods and you've got a miniature natural paradise.


I set up facing north looking at the rain garden which has flat roofed building wing just behind it.  I worked on matching the colors of the vegetation, cool blue-greens for the distance, bright vivid cool greens on the left, and bright cool pinks and yellows for the flower beds.   I also included the bench that overlooks this serene setting.

The perennial flower beds had patches of color but certainly not to the degree that I painted it.  I am addicted to buttering on a palette knife full of blooms, so I took liberties.  The building facade started out in shadow but by the time I finished up for the day, it was sunlit.   As you can see I "chased the light" and the building is sunlit in the painting.

Here is the scene as it stands right now and the following is a list of issues I think I should address.   If your more objective eye spots anything else, let me know.

1) In the middle window, the far side window was visible, (the odd looking blue rectangle).  I don't think it adds anything and, moreover, it does not read correctly.

2) The grass is too cool and almost whitish.  Although the color harmony is cool light, warm shadow, the grass needs more yellow.  Sometimes painting in the bright sun will cause me to make this mistake.

3)  The building looked more stately and provided a better backdrop when it was in shadow.   By repainting it and making it sunlit, the focus was changed from the bench and flowers to this bold, bright architectural element.   And, what possessed me to make it so pink?

Maybe a trip back to this spot is in order as well.   The next time you see this one will be on my website.  Comments welcome as always.



Turtles on a Log

During my recent paint outs at the Daniel Webster Audubon, I took several photos at the watering hole that attracts the local wildlife.  I particularly like turtles.  I think my interest in turtles comes from the fact that they were my first pet when I was about seven or eight. I have this vague recollection of losing one of them and then my mother finding it hiding under a radiator. This is either true or is something that happened in a childhood movie. I can't remember!
 
On each visit to the Audubon, there have been a group of turtles that like to bask on a log that slopes diagonally up out of the water.   As I watched, a small turtle approached and started climbing onto the log at the bottom, but there was no room, and he slipped back into the water.   He dove under the water and approached again.  This time when he started his ascent he seemed to nudge the bottom turtle, which took a couple of steps up, and one by one they all cooperated taking a step or two up the log which made room for the bottom guy.  Seem pretty mundane?  It made me smile.

I looked up these turtles to find out what kind they were.  According to the Turtle Conservation Project website, this group of turtles are Painted Turtles. The head, legs and tail are black with yellow stripes. The undersides of the marginals have bold red markings. The bright red markings contrast nicely with the top shell, log and surroundings, which I thought would make a good subject for a painting.

Here are the stages of the painting all in a row in small thumbnails.


Turtles on a Log Stage 1



Turtles on a Log Stage 2

Turtles on a Log Stage 3

Stage 1 - Blocked in shapes an the darkest darks.
Stage 2 - Refined the turtles more, especially the way the bright sunlight was whitewashing the shells on the sunlit side, and darker on the dome facing away from light. Added signature red undershell markings, nice and bright, knowing I could tone it down if I needed to.
Stage 3 - On a dried canvas, redefined the darks, the stripes on heads, legs and some undershell shadows.  Yellow accent stripes on heads.   Painted the reflections of the shells and legs in the water.  Added grasses.

Painted Turtles on a Log

Audubon Pond

Audubon Blind Shelter Set Up

It was a cold windy November day and I had my equipment box on wheels loaded up for a trek further into the Daniel Webster Audubon trails.   There is a watering hole a mere quartermile from the parking lot which usually hosts a variety of wildlife.    There are two blind shelter enclosures, one on either side of the pond and I decided to paint from inside one of them and have it serve as my wind shield.



Audubon Dead Log Stage 1

The Audubon is a nature lover's paradise and I had my choice of subjects for my painting - ducks, geese, birds, turtles or hawks.   While I mulled over which wildlife to include, I began with an immobile subject, a sunbleached log that was angled up out of the water.   The scene was light and bright with the darkest area being the log's reflection.    The colorful ripples of the many different grasses and water plants only multiplied this October's show.





Audubon Dead Log Stage 2

The openings in the enclosure reminded me of readymade viewfinders.   I maneuvered my easel around until I had a spot from which I could sight-size my subject.   It's not evident by the photos but the paint is applied very thickly with my palette knife - almost having the look of icing.






The grasses emerge from the pond in reddish sheaths turning lighter and greener as they go up.   Pairs of ducks seemed to be the most prevalent resident on this day so I added a pair knifing up and away from the log, their wake forming the familiar "v".



Audubon Pond

Audubon Gate

Audubon Gate

Another fine autumn day at the Daniel Webster Audubon.   A rustic old gate was catching late morning light.   One half of the gate is closed,  and the closer half is opened away from view.   The dark rusty sumacs leaves were standing out clearly against a pale blue sky.   A good sized maple with nice twisted branches hung over the pathway and its yellow leaves were sparce.

Audubon Farm Day 2012

This past week, the local weather forecasters had been predicting wet weather for this weekend.  Our Saturday paint out plans at the Daniel Webster Audubon would be hanging in the balance.   It did start out somewhat murky, but the clouds eventually gave way to some sun by mid afternoon.   Temperatures soared and it was a bonus given that were in October.



Farm Day Paint Out

I've painted here before, and have at least one previous blog post on it.   Today it was a vastly different place from the quiet, pristine reserve it usually is.   This event attracted hundreds of people, mostly families with small children.   The old barn was transformed into a hot soup station for the day.    Bales of hay were used to construct a children's maze, borders between events, food lines, bumpers for the hayrides and of course, sitting areas. 

I set up at the top of a dirt path that led down to the old barn.   Pretty foliage was almost at peak, a mixture of rusty green, golds and cool yellows.   A white sun umbrella was set up in front of the barn and it caught me eye right away.  It provided the sharpest contrast, against the wide black openings.   A large yellow and white striped tent was positioned on the left, a pretty counterbalance to the bright trees behind the barn.



Farm Day Oct 20

Most of the attractions, beekeepers, blacksmith, wool spinners, animals, hayrides, merchants, etc., and the hundreds of people viewing them were behind me and only occasionally would someone use the path I was painting to descend to the barn.   Pretty scene in all directions, and so much to enjoy while getting to paint! 

Once I had completed most of the landscape, I sketched in a young man with a black backpack when he got to the bottom of the path.

Audubon Paint Out

Audubon Barn and Truck Stage 1

Audubon Barn and Truck Stage 2

On a perfect day recently, my husband and I drove a short distance to the Daniel Webster Mass Audubon site in Marshfield, MA.   It's the end of August and everywhere we look, it's beautifully lush and green.    For my composition, I chose a two phase barn structure with a farm truck in front of it.     It was early morning and the shadows were warm and long.   The weathered roof and sides of the barn was a lavender bluish gray. 




The structure to the left housed the baled hay. The low angle of the sun was shining in on the  the hay which was stacked at different heights within the barn.   I liked the variation of the stacks in the light.

The contrast between the trees and the sky was pretty dramatic and at first I found that I didn't paint the trees dark enough.  I didn't like having to come back to make them darker, but I did.   The distant grass was a light green which I made from viridian, lemon yellow and white. I gradually added more cadmium yellow as I painted down the canvas to the foreground grasses.  

 At the end of the paint out a rustle in the bushes drew our attention to a young deer with six inch antlers.   He crossed the area I had just painted and I thought about adding him in.   It's still a work in progress, so I still may do that.



Audubon Resident

Spring Snow at the Audubon

In Marshfield, there are two Massachusetts Audubon areas.   The one closest to me is the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, a 475 acre parcel of grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands.  For birders, there are observation blinds overlooking a shallow wetland that attracts herons, egrets, and shorebirds, and -allegedly - muskrats and mink.   For landscape painters, there are many picturesque scenes, that can include distant, mid-range, and closer terrain.

Whenever I have painted at the Audubon, I usually set up right at the car, because even from this small unpaved lot, there are plenty of scenic vistas.   This is both for convenience and personal safety, although I have observed many women walking the trails alone.  You are in for a treat if you have never been there; the varied trails can be walked in less than an hour.   If you do venture out onto the trails, wear some water resistant boots because there are many water saturated dips in the trails. 

Audubon Tree at Secret Path

The painting to the left is from the junction of the Pond Loop and the Secret Trail, a south facing path.   The areas shaded by last year's tall swamp grass are the last to melt after the moderate snow squalls that blew through.   On the tree, the branches on the far side are bluer and almost transparent against the late winter sky.   The branches that are brightly lit on this side are dappled with the shade of other branches.     For the foreground grasses, I used a shabby old brush with sideways bristles, dragged it through my Naples yellow/Cad Red piles, then applied scumbled wisps of dry grass that aligned with the bright snowy areas. 

I'll pay a return visit to this one.   As I post this photo of the painting I realize that the shadow of the main tree is not dark enough across the far end of the path. 

The March sun has already melted the snow here at home.   This snowscape will go dormant for Spring and Summer with the other recent snowscapes.   I'll critique and revise in September with fresh eyes.